Summary of each
9/11 attacks
This tragedy involved an assault by 19 militants of al-Qaeda origin believed to be Islamic extremist. The militants hijacked four airliners and used them to carry out suicide attacks in America. Two planes were directed to hit New York’s World Trade Center, one to hit pentagon in Washington, D.C and another to crash in Pennsylvania. These attacks caused massive deaths, destruction of property and displacement of many Americans (Barnett, 2006).
Hurricane Katrina
This tragedy took place in 2005 when a huge hurricane struck United States of America’s Gulf Coast. Experts state that the hurricane had a 3rd rating on the hurricane scale. The sustained winds that it brought stretched over a long distance. This tragedy resulted in mass destruction of property estimated to be over $100billion (Zimmermann et al. 2014).
Psychological symptoms
9/11
Victims of the attacks faced several psychological symptoms. Flashback is one major effect of the attacks. The victims also fear that there will be a repeat of the emotional event. The victims also faced symptoms such as nausea and headaches (Marrin et al. 2011).
Hurricane Katrina
The hurricane resulted in trauma caused by the overwhelming intensity of the hurricane. It also led to difficulties and confusion in making decisions. Lastly, the hurricane brought about anxiety to its victims (Zimmermann et al. 2014).
Resources available
In America, there are several resources that help people in emergencies. In both the 9/11 and Katrina, the Red Cross played a crucial role in saving lives (Hurricane Katrina, 2014). FEMA also played a significant role in aiding recovery of victims of the disasters. The Air Force Aid Society also played a major role.
Long-term effects
Disasters such as hurricane Katrina and the September attacks cause trauma. The victims also suffer from anxiety disorders. The memory of undergoing such experiences is very disturbing (About Hurricane Katrina, 2014).
How trauma has affected children
For young children, it is difficult to watch their loved ones struggle for their lives. The painful experiences they witnessed will keep on haunting them.
The role media played
Media played a significant role in helping reduce the symptoms. This was mainly through spreading relevant information on what the victims should do in order to cope with the situation. Media also facilitated guidance and counseling activities.
Works Cited
"About Hurricane Katrina | FEMA.gov." About Hurricane Katrina | FEMA.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2014. <http://www.fema.gov/response-recovery/about-hurricane-katrina>.
Barnett, D.. "9/11: Mental Health in the Wake of Terrorist Attacks ; Are We Ready? Public Health since 9/11." BMJ 333.7580 (2006): 1225-1225. Print.
"Hurricane Katrina." - News. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/h/hurricane_katrina/index.html>.
Marrin, Stephen. "The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks: A Failure of Policy Not Strategic Intelligence Analysis." Intelligence and National Security 26.2-3 (2011): 182-202. Print.
Zimmermann, Kim. "Hurricane Katrina: Facts, Damage & Aftermath." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 20 Aug. 2012. Web. 18 Oct. 2014. <http://www.livescience.com/22522-hurricane-katrina-facts.html>.
